Elkhart County, Indiana Area
Resource Centers For Help In Researching Your Ancestors

LIBRARIES

Allen County
Public Library, at Wayne and Webster Streets,
900 Webster Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, (574) 424-7241, second floor. All U.S.
census records, state and territorial census records, family histories and genealogies,
county histories, church and cemetery records, vital records, complete set of WPA indexes
to Indiana vital records, DAR genealogical records collection on microfilm and/or in
books, Revolutionary War pension applications on microfilm, military records, passenger
records, city directories, nation-wide town/county records collection on microfilm and/or
in print. Home of PERSI, the Periodical Source Index, and a large collection
of periodicals; LDS Family Search on CD-ROM; many of CD-ROMs; and other sources too
numerous to mention.

Family History Center, Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day
Saints, 1976 E. McKinley, Mishawaka, IN 46545, (574) 256-0232. Hours: Tues. and Wed.
9:00 - 9:00 and second and fourth Sat. 10:00 - 2:00. International Genealogical File
(IGI), Social Security death records, Family Search. Microfiche and computer access to
entire catalog of holdings of the Family History Center, Salt Lake City. For a small fee,
records that have been microfilmed can be ordered from Salt Lake City to be viewed at the
local center. Many microfilm of area records are housed at the center on permanent loan.

Mennonite Historical Library, third floor of the Harold and Wilma
Good Library, Goshen College, Goshen, IN, 574-535-7413. Hours: 8 to 12 and 1-5, Mon.
through Fri. and 9 to 12 Sat. Closed holidays and Sat. during college vacation periods.
About 3,000 volumes documenting the families of Mennonite and related groups throughout
the world. Obituary index to the Herald of Truth (1864-1908) and its successor, the
Gospel Herald, and computerized index to approximately 120 Amish genealogies
prepared by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Inquiries by mail will be
answered as staff time permits.

Elkhart
Public Library, 300 S. Second, Elkhart, IN
46515, 574-522-5669, second floor genealogy department. Elkhart County census records
through 1920, census indexes to 1860, many genealogical reference books, WPA indexes to
Elkhart County vital records through 1920, WPA index to Elkhart County histories, Elkhart
newspapers, older version of LDS International Genealogical File on microfiche, and
obituary file for 1980s and 1990s. Ask for family histories indexed in online
catalog at the reference desk. Internet access.

Elkhart County Genealogical Society members volunteer in the
genealogy department on the first Wed. of each month from 1:00 to 5:00 and on the third
Sat. of each month to help researchers.

Middlebury Public Library, 101 E. Winslow St., Middlebury, IN
46540, 574-825-5601, has the Middlebury Independent on microfilm beginning with
June 1879, but not all issues are available. Middlebury High School yearbooks.

Nappanee Public Library, 157 N. Main St., Nappanee, IN 46550,
574-773-7919. Heritage Center in basement. Complete file of the Nappanee
Advance News and its predecessors from 1879 to present, with extensive index file;
obituary index containing actual obituaries; indexed picture file from 1874 to date;
diaries and recollections of pioneers; local family histories and genealogies; cemetery
records; and census records.

Wakarusa Public Library, 123 N. Elkhart St., P.O. Box 485,
Wakarusa, IN 46573, 574-862-2465. Historical Room has microfilm of the Wakarusa
Tribune and its predecessor from June 1874; good Wakarusa Tribune obit. files;
local genealogies. No newspapers exist from 1880-1907 because of a fire at the local
newspaper.

St. Joseph County Public Library, 304 S. Main St. South Bend, IN, 574-282-4630. Family history room on
second floor. The library has all Indiana census and 1880, 1900, and 1920 Soundex on
microfilm; [Elkhart County researchers will find the Soundex (index) for the 1880, 1900,
and 1920 Elkhart County census here.]; some Michigan census records for neighboring
counties; some Ohio census; CRIMP microfilm of St. Joseph County public records [and CRIMP
microfilm of records of St. Vincents Catholic Church, Elkhart]; many genealogical
reference books, obituary file from 1920s and 1930s to present (containing
some obituaries of Elkhart County residents); and local newspapers from origin of county
to present (See David Eisens Vital Statistics Index to St. Joseph County, IN,
Newspapers 1831-1912.); an extensive collection of genealogical record books and
periodicals.

LOCAL LINEAGE AND
HISTORICAL/GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES

William Tufts Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution, Elkhart County. Contact Margaret Wiseman Perrin, regent, (574) 533-8389,
e-mail: margo perrin@juno.com for information. Members must prove their descent
from patriots who served the American cause during the American Revolution.

Alex Coquillard Chapter, National Society Sons of the American
Revolution (South Bend). Contact Robert Wiseman, 22962 Lakeshore Dr., Elkhart, IN
46514, (212) 264-6200. Members must prove their descent from patriots who served the
American cause during the American Revolution.

Elkhart County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1031, Elkhart, IN 46515-1031. Contact Fern Cox, president and
queries chair, at the above address. ECGS will answer specific genealogical questions
concerning Elkhart County families by mail. Enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope when
writing to the society. ECGS meets on the fourth Thurs. of Sept., Oct., Feb., Mar., Apr.,
and May and the third Thurs. in Nov. at either First Presbyterian Church or Elkhart Public
Library (winter months). Contact the society for a schedule and publications list.

The society maintains a small genealogical library in the basement
of the First Presbyterian Church, on Beardsley St. in Elkhart, open Thursdays 1:00 - 6:00
P.M. The church is located just west of Ruthmere, the Beardsley mansion. Over 300 reels of
CRIMP microfilm of Elkhart County loose probate papers and other documents is available
for viewing, along with an index compiled by ECGS member Ned Parcell.

Elkhart County Genealogical Society is the publisher of the Elkhart
County Cemeteries books. The original four volumes cover these townships:

Volume 1: Benton, Clinton, Elkhart, Jackson townships

Volume 2: Harrison, Locke, Olive, Union townships

Volume 3: Baugo, Cleveland, Concord, Oslo townships

Volume 4: Jefferson, Middlebury, Washington, and York townships

Elkhart County Historical Society, 304 W. Vistula (State Rd.
120), PO Box 434, Bristol, IN 46507. (574) 848-4322. Hours: Sun., Wed., Thurs., and
Fri. 1:00-5:00. Library contains reference books, family histories, quarterlies, county
histories, printed census and indexes, obituary file to early issues of the Bristol
Banner. WPA indexes for Elkhart Co. births and deaths from 1882-1920 and marriages from
1850-1920, WPA combined index to Elkhart County histories, card index to holdings in the
museum archives, and card index to early issues of the Goshen Democrat . The museum
archives contains many sources that a research would not find elsewhere in the county.
Library and archives staff will answer written requests for information as time permits.